Low-tannin sorghum is an excellent energy source in pig diets. However, sorghum contains several anti-nutritional factors that may have negative effects on nutrient digestibility. The impacts of ...proteases on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, and gut microbiota of growing pigs fed sorghum-based diets were studied in this study. Ninety-six pigs (20.66 ± 0.65 kg BW) were allocated into three groups (eight pens/group, four pigs/pen): (1) CON (control diet, sorghum-based diet included 66.98% sorghum), (2) PRO1 (CON + 200 mg/kg proteases), (3) PRO2 (CON + 400 mg/kg proteases) for 28 d. No differences were observed in growth performance and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients between CON and PRO1 groups. Pigs fed PRO2 diet had increased (P < 0.05) BW on d 21 and 28, and increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain during d 14-21 and the overall period compared with pigs fed CON diet. In addition, pigs fed PRO2 diet had improved (P < 0.05) ATTD of gross energy, CP, and DM compared with pigs fed CON and PRO1 diets. Pigs fed PRO2 diet had lower (P < 0.05) plasma globulin (GLB) level and higher (P < 0.05) plasma glucose, albumin (ALB) and immunoglobulin G levels, and ALB/GLB ratio than pigs fed CON and PRO1 diets. Furthermore, pigs fed PRO2 diet had decreased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota at the phylum level and increased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Prevotella_9 at the genus level. The linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis also showed that pigs fed PRO2 diet had significantly enriched short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, such as Subdoligranulum and Parabacteroides. In conclusion, protease supplementation at 400 mg/kg improved the growth performance of growing pigs fed sorghum-based diets, which may be attributed to the improvement of nutrient digestibility, host metabolism, immune status and associated with the altered gut microbiota profiles.
A novel water-stable open poly-nuclear Cu(I)-based metal-organic framework, NC2H84Cu5(BTT)3·xG (G = guest of DMA and H2O) (1), featuring a giant multi-prismatic nanoscale cage and high CO2/N2 and ...CO2/H2 sorption selectivities, was successfully assembled by using the nitrogen-rich ligand of 1,3,5-tris(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)benzene (H3BTT) to bridge two types of Cu3 and Cu2 clusters.
•The microstructure-hardness relationship was understood from the perspective of crystallography.•The hardness followed a near-linear relationship with the density of high angle grain boundaries ...(HAGBs).•The high cooling rate contributed to producing high density of HAGBs and hardness.
A Jominy specimen of low carbon low alloy steel was investigated to elucidate the relationship between crystallographic features and hardness. As the Jominy distance increased from 2 to 20 mm and then to 50 mm, the morphological structure changed from lath martensite to lath bainite and then to granular bainite. The cooling rate was lowered with increasing Jominy distance, and the density of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) and the hardness were decreased, showing a near-linear relationship between the HAGBs density and hardness. The high cooling rate led to a large driving force and a low transformation temperature, which contributed to producing high density of HAGBs and hardness.
Purpose
Previous studies have determined optimal cut points (CPs) for the classification of pain severity as mild, moderate, or severe using only the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) or the BPI in ...conjunction with a quality of life (QOL) tool. The purpose of our study was to determine the optimal CPs based on correlation with only QOL outcomes.
Methods
We conducted an analysis of 298 patients treated with radiation therapy for painful bone metastases on a phase III randomized trial. Prior to treatment, patients provided their worst pain score on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain), as well as completed the European Organization of Cancer Research and Treatment (EORTC) QOL Questionnaire Bone Metastases module (QLQ-BM22) and the EORTC QOL Questionnaire Core-15 Palliative (QLQ-C15-PAL). Optimal CPs were determined to be those that yielded the largest
F
ratio for the between category effect on each subscale of the QLQ-BM22 and QLQ-C15-PAL using the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).
Results
The two largest
F
ratios for Wilk’s
λ
, Pillai’s Trace, and Hotelling’s Trace were for CPs 5,6 and 5,7. Combining both, the optimal CPs to differentiate between mild, moderate, and severe pain were 5 and 7. Pain scores of 1–5, 6, and 7–10 were classified as mild, moderate, and severe, respectively. Patients with severe pain experienced greater functional interference and poorer QOL when compared to those with mild pain.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that, based on the impact of pain on QOL measures, pain scores should be classified as follows: 1–5 as mild pain, 6 as moderate pain, and 7–10 as severe pain. Optimal CPs vary depending on the type of outcome measurement used.
Segmental defect areas in the mandible can change immediately following osteotomy due to muscular traction, impacting on accurate reconstruction. The purpose of this article is to introduce a new ...technique based on virtual surgery planning to record the position of the bony parts prior to mandibulectomy, for use in precise mandibular reconstruction after segmental osteotomy. The position information for the bony parts is transferred to a plate with complementary surface contact and locating holes with specific directions and angles. This technique was performed for six patients with segmental defects and the results were compared to those of six previous patients in whom the technique was not utilized. The design of the location holes shortened the average operation time from 406 minutes to 349 minutes (P = 0.033) and decreased the average, maximum, and minimum graft deviation from 1.21 mm to 0.88 mm (P = 0.015), 1.28 mm to 0.99 mm (P = 0.027), and −1.15 mm to −0.77 mm (P = 0.077), respectively. The design of the locating holes in multiple plates shortened the time taken for the bony repositioning step and hence significantly shortened the total operation time. More importantly, it also increased the reconstructive accuracy.
Abstract
Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: None.
Objective
Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common primary valvular heart disease, treatable only by aortic valve replacement ...(AVR). Current literatures have shown that severe AS may precede atrial dysfunction which predicts adverse outcomes. However, predictive value of pre-operative left atrial (LA) function on post-AVR clinical outcomes is uncertain. The study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of pre-operative LA strain on post AVR all-cause mortality and heart failure.
Methods
Patients aged 18 years old or above with severe AS were recruited and assessed using speckle-tracking echocardiography pre-operatively. Severe AS was defined according to 2014 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Patients With Valvular Heart Disease. Peak Atrial Longitudinal Strain (PALS) was measured as a surrogate of LA function. Patients with underlying pre-operative atrial fibrillation and other severe valvular heart diseases were excluded. High PALS was defined as PALS higher than 15.94%. Patients were followed up until death or end of the study. The primary endpoint is a composite endpoint of all-cause mortality and heart failure during hospitalisation. The association of LA function with composite endpoint of all-cause mortality and heart failure was evaluated by Cox Proportional Hazards analysis.
Results
A total of 128 patients (mean age 65.3.9 ± 9.4 years, 56.3% male) were analysed. Patients were followed up for a mean period of 3.9 ± 2.4years. A total of 65 of 128 patients (50.8%) belonged to low PALS group. During the study period, 23 patients developed events on the composite endpoint. Among those with composite endpoint, low PALS group accounted for 18 (78.3%) patients and high PALS group accounted for 5 (21.7%) patients. Higher PALS was independently associated with lower risk of composite endpoint of all-cause mortality and heart failure (HR, 0.33; 95% CI 0.117-0.916, p = 0.03) after adjustment for EuroSCORE II.
Conclusion
Higher PALS, a surrogate of LA function, is associated with a lower risk of composite endpoints of mortality and heart failure in patients with severe AS undergoing AVR, independent of EuroSCORE II. Evaluation of LA function by assessing speckle tracking derived PALS may aid in prognostication for patients undergoing AVR.
The wide occurrence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and heavy metals in coastal waters has drawn global concern, and thus their removal efficiencies in sewage treatment processes should be ...estimated. However, low concentrations coupled with high temporal fluctuations of these pollutants present a monitoring challenge. Using semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and Artificial Mussels (AMs), this study investigates a novel approach to evaluating the removal efficiency of five EDCs and six heavy metals in primary treatment, secondary treatment and chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) processes. In general, the small difference between maximum and minimum values of individual EDCs and heavy metals measured from influents/effluents of the same sewage treatment plant suggests that passive sampling devices can smooth and integrate temporal fluctuations, and therefore have the potential to serve as cost-effective monitoring devices for the estimation of the removal efficiencies of EDCs and heavy metals in sewage treatment works.
•SPMDs were used to evaluate the removal efficiency of EDCs in sewage treatment.•And AMs to evaluate the removal efficiency of heavy metals.•SPMD/AMs can smooth and integrate temporal fluctuations of pollutant concentrations.•SPMD/AMs can serve as cost-effective monitoring devices in sewage treatment work.
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